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MEX Notes: Motorola considering sub-device category?

MEX note: This Engadget article surfaces pictures of a possible Motorola sub-device, designed to be mounted like a watch on a wrist-strap. It would provide music and GPS fitness tracking, as well as pairing with the user’s phone and PC. Much of the discussion around multi-touchpoint user experiences has presumed the phone to be the smallest screen in the chain. However, our explorations of MEX Pathway #2 at the December 2010 and May 2011 MEX events took a different direction, looking at the emerging category of sub-devices such as wearable displays, digital wrist watches and phone 'companions'. Sony Ericsson's LiveView was among the first commercial offerings in this area, while a Kickstarter project to manufacture a wristband for the iPod Nano raised more than USD 1m from 13,500 backers in a month. Regardless of whether Motorola's product ever makes it beyond concept stage, I believe this overall product category will have a role in numerous multi-touchpoint usage scenarios.

Author

Marek Pawlowski is the founder of MEX. Since 1995, he has focused the MEX business on helping digital industries to develop better, more profitable products through improved understanding of user behaviour with mobile devices and wireless networks. MEX is best known for its events, research and consulting, which balance commercial, technical and user insights to define the future of mobile user experience.